Members of the Public Attend an Open Community Forum to Discuss Public Art in February 2017. Their input was communicated to the California Arts Council through the Arts Council of Mendocino County’s application for a Local Impact grant.

State funds extend the reach of the arts to local underserved populations.

Ukiah, CA – The California Arts Council announced its plans to award $9450 to the Arts Council of Mendocino County as part of its Local Impact program.

The Local Impact program fosters equity, access, and opportunity by providing project and partnership support for small arts organizations with operating budgets under $1 million. All projects extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations that have limited access to the arts.

With support from the California Arts Council, the Arts Council of Mendocino County will coordinate and commission the first work of public art to be approved through the City of Ukiah’s new Public Art Policy.

Alyssum Wier, Arts Council of Mendocino County Executive Director, reports that her hope is that this first project, which will require “continued partnership and collaboration between arts organizations, community members, and the city” — will inspire other artists and arts organizations to carry out future public art projects throughout the county.

Wier states, “Right now there’s a significant amount of community support for public art thanks to the grassroots efforts of individuals and local artist groups. Laura Fogg and Art Center Ukiah have been instrumental in raising the donations locally that were required in order to receive matching funds from the California Arts Council. This public/private collaboration strengthens our community, creates economic opportunity for artists, brings much needed state funds to our community, and results in a more lively streetscape that reflects our sense of place, character, and pride of community.” “As the County Seat, Ukiah is in a unique position to create a strong favorable impression upon visitors to our breathtaking county and public art is something that visitors look for and enjoy discovering when they travel,” said Wier. With the receipt of this grant now a certainty, project coordinators can now move forward to determine the budget for murals, select a panel to determine project criteria, draft a call for entries and jury submissions. It is anticipated that work can begin on one or more murals by spring of 2018.

The Arts Council of Mendocino County is one of just 130 grantees chosen for this highly competitive program, which received applications from 203 organizations statewide.

“The Local Impact program eliminates barriers keeping low-income, rural, and historically underserved communities from equal access to arts programs,” said Donn K. Harris, Chair of the California Arts Council. The Ukiah Mural project helps to further the Arts Council’s vision of enriching the lives of all Californians through arts participation, while allowing the local community to access their own creativity.”

To learn more about the California Arts Council, see CAC.CA.GOV; to learn more about the Arts Council of Mendocino County, see ARTSMENDOCINO.ORG.